Ari Hest is an American singer‑songwriter. Born in the Bronx and raised in a musical environment (his father is a professor of music, his mother a professional singer), Hest began writing songs for the guitar in his mid‑teens. Despite his parents' professional interests, Hest considers himself a self‑taught musician. Hest is a 2002 graduate of New York University.

A veteran of the small club circuit, particularly in and around his native New York City, Hest recorded and issued his first three albums on his own. Incomplete (1999), a collection of six songs, was originally intended as a demo to circulate among club owners to help secure performing engagements. Incomplete began selling well at shows, and led to the production of two more full‑length albums, Come Home (2001) and Story after Story (2003). Hest's first commercial release from a national record label, Someone to Tell, was released by Columbia Records in 2004.